Perfect Blue

Perfect Blue

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DVD Reviews of Perfect Blue

DVD Review: Perfect Blue is a near perfect DVD.
Summary: 4 Stars

I'm reviewing the version I saw, the Australian DVD release by Madman Entertainment as the licensee for Manga Entertainment. It is unusually Region Coded 1,2 and 4 (the zones of USA and Canada, Europe and Japan and South America as well). However, it is recorded in PAL format and except for Europe, these countries use NTSC, a different playback format. As a general point, make sure your DVD player has PAL playback before buying any PAL disc even if the disc is your region code or region zero (no region code) otherwise it won't play back properly or at all. There might also be differences between this disc and other region versions so check what extras you get.

I don't like watching dubbed live action films but I'm perfectly happy with the English dubbed version on this disc which is well done. The Japanese language track with or without subtitles is also available. It's worth watching the watching the Japanese subtitled version. It gives a different feel to the movie. Some dialogue gets a different emphasis. It also shows up one error in the English dub at 1 hour 1 minute and 32 seconds. Mima should have said "Rika Takakura" not "Mima Kirigoe". This is confirmed by the Japanese language track and accompanying subtitles. This is important as it clears up some confusion that might be created in that scene as a result.

Mima Kirigoe is a pop singer who is quitting her group "Cham" to take up acting. We quickly learn that longevity in the music business can be short in Japan. Starting at ground level in the acting business means she has no choice but to do scenes which are worlds apart from her wholesome pop image. Someone starts stalking her and sending threatening letters. One explodes injuring her manager. Even more disturbingly, she finds a website (called "Mima's Room) that has details of her life that only she could know. Things get really scary when she starts using it herself to find out what she's been up to as her emotional state deteriorates.

Murders of people involved with her acting career start happening. She might be being haunted and terrorised by her former pop persona that objects to the indecent things she has to act out. Mima may actually be hallucinating the threats and that she's being stalked. She may also be hallucinating the murders. She might actually be committing the murders. In fact, she might even be hallucinating her entire career but committing the murders - or not. Or she may be simply be going mad. Believe me when I say anything is possible in this film.

The last 30 minutes continually keep you guessing as the filmmakers keep shifting the ground beneath the viewer's feet. You have to repeatedly question what is real and what it not, a difficult but enjoyable task and you have to especially be on your toes to keep up. What has been going on seems to be conclusively settled, if for no more reason that there is nothing following the end to contradict the final scene. The theme music is quite eerie and totally appropriate for the tone of key scenes in the film as Mima starts her spiral downwards. There is also a frenetic score that perfectly fits the intensity of the murders (or is it 'murders'?).

This is an excellent film and a first class thriller. Within the first few minutes, I had even forgotten that I was watching an animated film. This film has a great twist ending, a killer final half hour and a streamlined plot in a compact running time. 3 things a recent and totally unrelated release "Minority Report" didn't have and needed desperately.

The DVD extras are very good. A screen says you are being connecting you "Mima's Room" and uses a reverse of the pull away shot from Mima's apartment window in the film by zooming into her apartment, past Mima and then displaying a menu for the extras. Commentary from three of the main English voice actors is very informative and thought provoking about how they interpreted the film and decided to play their roles as a result. It is also interesting to compare Mima's English voice actor to her Japanese equivalent's take on the role. This is the director Satoshi Kon's first animated feature and he does a great job.

There is a photo montage using frames from the film and text that details the key events of the film. Also, some studio footage of the Japanese voice actors singing a Cham song and the separate English equivalent (sound only) is an option. There is also some footage of the animators working on the film in the opening menu screen, it would have been nice if a small feature had been added showing the making of the film as well.

Surprisingly (and fortunately) this film has not yet been optioned by Hollywood for a remake. This would not be a popular suggestion but IF amongst the current lot of Britney Spears, Mandy Moore et al, one of them did appear in a remake of this film and IF they stuck as closely as possible to this film and IF they did a good job, it would definitely add a dimension to their acting careers. There are obvious parallels as they also are all shifting their focus from their music to acting, which is the theme of this film, especially the downside of that transition and that of fame in general. However, that is a lot of 'if's and probably far too many to give great odds of success. All things considered it's probably good we have fortunately been spared the threat of a remake.

A great movie and a great disc. Go see it, buy it if you can't rent it.

Description of Perfect Blue